Chapter Three

Vincenzo looked at me, his black eyes weighing, unyielding. Up close, he was enormous, tall and broad shouldered, the kind of stature that kept men on guard and women uneasy. But I was not like most women.

I opened my mouth and put on a civil smile. "A pleasure, Mr. Lombardi."

Taking my hand into his, his gaze settled on me a beat longer than necessary. Just as I was about to pull my hand away, he finally spoke. "Likewise, Doctor."

I could feel my boss's gaze, so I kept my tone light. "I thought the job was already filled."

Lombardi relaxed slightly, his expression pleasant but gaze sharp. "When I require something, I do not take second best."

Arrogant self-confidence. He had no idea he was letting a wolf into his home.

I tilted my head to one side. "And what do you want me for, precisely?"

"A personal physician," he said smoothly. "I require someone first rate and completely discreet. My line of work requires… certain cautions."

Discreet. Was this what he told the men who had killed my parents?

"The pay is wonderful," he continued. "And you will never have to step foot in a hospital for the duration of your contract. You will work exclusively from my estate."

My boss smiled, trying to make the sale for me. "It's a great opportunity, Francesca."

This was perfect. This was fate.

I smiled, shaking the hand of Vincenzo Lombardi. "You obviously don’t take no for an answer ,so in that case, Mr. Lombardi, you have yourself a doctor."

His hand shook mine, having no idea that by doing so he had locked his own destiny into place.

I followed Vincenzo back to his villa, this task weighing so heavily on my mind like a cloak of iron.

I was following his car but all I had on my mind was revenge, he was a minute away but I had to be patient. Lucky me for using my mothers maiden name otherwise my surname would have jingled something.

The man who had earlier been taken into the hospital was now wheeled into an exclusive clinic deep within Vincenzo's estate, where secrets were concealed as easily as corpses.

As my car crested the long, sweeping driveway, the massive shape of his villa rose before us in the darkness, its stone façade lit by the eerie light of garden lamps.

The estate stretched out in unspoken mastery, an empire forged in blood and strength. I stepped out of the car, my sharp eyes scanning as the night air enveloped me cold and fresh like a warning whisper.

Inside the clinic, the sterility smell of antiseptic hung on the air, mingling with the faint, unmistakable scent of blood. The walls were white, too white, as if trying to cover up the savagery that had brought us there.

The man was cold on the table, his flesh a battered palette, torn muscles, jagged wounds, and the tell-tale signs of a battle that no one should have survived.

The entry wound just beneath his left shoulder blade had been treated at the hospital already, but the danger lay under the surface.

Dark bruises spread out from the cut, swelling and indicating that he was bleeding internally. The deep slash down his side was worse, ragged and open.

Whoever had attacked him had meant to kill him.

I took slow breaths, my head clear and thinking. This wasn't an accident. This was a fight that had been abandoned.

Rolling my sleeves up, I began. The operation light shone its brassy light onto the oily red of exposed tissue as I repaired what had been destroyed.

My fingers wove with an unshakeable routine, each stitch carrying me a little bit further in here, further into Vincenzo's territory.

And he observed me.

I did not have to look up to feel the weight of his stare. It was piercing and critical, the kind of gaze that measured a person's worth in silence.

There was something about being stared at this way that disturbed me, but I would not be shaken.

I just focused on the rhythm of the motion, on the effortless movement of my hands. I was being extremely careful, I had to prove to him that I was brought here by the hospital because I was the best.

I could not afford to destroy the future of my plans. I was not here accidentally, I was karma and I had finally caught up with Vincenzo.

By the time I finished, the man's vitals were steady, and the room was too still to bear. I ripped off my gloves and turned to find Vincenzo looking at me with blank eyes. He did not speak, merely a slow, approving nod.

This was definitely a test. And I passed.

I packed up my things, and the weight of the night descended upon me. This was it. I'd gone down a road from which there was no turning back, and soon enough, I'd be too far gone to turn around.

……….

The drive home was quiet, but not my mind. My heart rate remained steady, but beneath it, a tension coiled in my chest, tightening with each passing moment.

The city lights blurred by the windshield, their glow streaking through the night like gold, but I barely noticed. My head was too tangled, too rough. I needed to talk to Vito.

The air at night was cool as I stepped out of the car. I drew my coat closer around me and put the phone to my ear and dialed him. The line cleared after a single ring.

I cut straight to it, telling him everything, the recommendation, Vincenzo's proposition and the timing. It was too good to be true.

Vito was silent on the other end, his breathing steady in the distance, a sign that he was on the move. There was a silent moment between us before he spoke at last, his voice carrying an edge I couldn't quite identify.

“What a coincidence, and yet, a pleasant one. Fate made it a lot easier for us and now we can proceed to phase two.

Stay close to him, and let me know what you need." He said.

A ghost of a smile appeared on my lips. "Be ready. You will be receiving plenty of work.".

I ended the call, but a creepy unease crawled beneath my skin. It was a strange feeling I hadn't figured out yet but it was one that I couldn't shake off, no matter how much I tried.